Hey! If we ever stayed on the subject somebody would think something was wrong. :p

I don't know much about Puerto Rican food at all.

The short time I was there---more years ago than I like to think about--- we mostly ate street food, and one really great meal at a church supper.

As I recall, it was a bit spicier than, say, Cuban, but not nearly as hot as Jamaican.

Street Food U-M-M-M!!! My son did 4 yrs in the Coast Guard stationed in lovely Key West FL (talk about a working vacation!) but they went to Rosie Rose, PR on some maneuvers and he simply loved it. I am hopeful that for our honeymoon we are going to go there. I can hardly wait! Some of the PR dishes aren't my favorite, but then I do think if I cooked them they'd turn out much more to my liking. I do not care for my shrimp overcooked, and if I were to make the some of the Bakalou (spelling?) which is a codfish dish I would make it a little more moist tasting and let my fish cook until alot more tender. But you are right they do not use hot peppers like some of the other styles of cusine do, but they do season beautifully.

And church suppers OH My goodness I love them!!! But to go to one in PR with all their homecooked foods well that had to be special! My son had a friend on his Cutter that was PR and they went to his home in PR while they were in port there, and he still raves on the food this fellows Mom cooked them!

Boy now that I think about it I wish some adult in my life had of suggested me joining the Coast Guard when I was a kid, I would have stayed in until retirement!!! And I would have requested Maine and Key West coasts to be stationed on, I love Bar Harbor!!! Lobster.......!!
And at both locations too!!!

We use to say you had to be at least 6' 1" tall to join the Coast Guard. That way, if your ship went down you could just wade home.

Seriously, the Coast Guard is (or, at least was, until Homeland took it over) a prime example of what a police force should be, and I have nothing but the highest respect for them.

Do you know their unofficial motto? "When a ship is in trouble you have to go out. Nobody said anything about coming back." To live and work by that philosophy takes balls of the first order!

My visit to PR was a two day liberty. We were having our Operations Readiness Inspection, at Gitmo, and that was one of two weekend cruises we made---the other was to Montego Bay; which remains my favoritest spot on the whole earth, even though I experienced the greatest danger of my life while there.

Interesting. I am certain from the stories I have heard (just from my son) the Coast Guard is exactly as you described! I am very proud of all our branches of the US Armed forces, but you've just got to have a special place in your heart for the Coasties!

My fiance tells me some stories about the Dangers in the jungles (Rain Forest) of PR how there are many who go in and just do not come out. Sad

KYH,

It's the Poulet M'charmel @ our house tonight for dinner! I will post how delicious it is and when you all get back from vacation you can read my rantings and ravings on how much we enjoyed it! I just naturally love chicken with lemon, olive oil, and parsley anyway! But my gracious add olives and cilantro, ginger and garlic! My taste buds will just get up and faint dead away, I mean they'll just be overwhelmed that is!!!

Cathy